By Alexandria San Juan
The Quezon City local government said it will reiterate the full implementation of an existing city ordinance similar to a recently proposed law requiring all government officials to take public transport to work every Monday.
Quezon City (MANILA BULLETIN)
Lawyer Ariel Inton, chief of Quezon City Task Force for Transport and Traffic Management (QCTF-TTM), said the proposed "Public Servants' Commuting via Public Transport Act" to be filed at the lower house was not new in the City.
According to Inton, Quezon City has already adopted and approved City Resolution 6311, pushed by Councilor Ramon Medalla in March 2015, which mandates government officials to commute using public transportation at least once a month.
Apart from the full implementation of the ordinance, Inton added that the city council will also craft clearer and stricter guidelines on how city officials and employees will "faithfully and consistently adhere and abide by their own ordinances."
The QC traffic czar stressed that implementing this ordinance would likely ease the heavy volume of cars traversing the city's major roads.
"Public officials and government employees taking public transportation at least once a week could somehow ease the traffic on our major thoroughfares during rush hours," Inton explained.
"For almost three months of our road clearing operations, many of those apprehended are private vehicles owned by public officials and employees," the former Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) member bared.
He also called on public officials and employees to set a "good example to their constituents to live a modest life and help in the transportation crisis that our country is currently facing."
On Saturday, Iligan City Representative Frederick Siao announced his plan to file the House measure to ease traffic in Metro Manila.
This was after Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo took on Friday a 3.5 hour commute going to Malacañang as challenge to him by various groups to take public transport.
Following Panelo's commute challenge, Inton said this should serve as a "wake-up call" that the hardships and struggle of the riding public are real and must be addressed by the government.